In order to obtain a pair of clean and shiny binocular lenses brush them. Otherwise, you may blow gently in order to remove the dirt, dust, or any light material off from the lenses. Wipe the lenses with a lens cloth and cleaning solutions.
How to Clean Binocular Lenses
Most binoculars come with cases and a set of lens caps. However, don’t assume that lens caps alone are sufficient to keep the lenses clean, because they are not.
There are times when you need to clean your binocular lenses for an adventure view or certain purposes. For safe cleaning, you need to follow some guideways. You have to make sure that your binocular lenses will face no harm and no damage in the cleaning procedure. Before you get started, you need to ensure you have the right tools for it. Such as:
1. Cleaning cotton
2. Lens pen
3. Lens cleaning solution
And also be aware that the following tools should not be used to clean the binocular lenses such as toilet paper, clothing items, detergent, other cleaners. Here is how you get started after getting the right tools:
Clean the Body
Generally, the body of your binocular is the dirtiest part of the device. Use a clean, slightly damp cloth to wipe down the body to wipe out all the dirt and greasy pollutants. You can use cotton buds to clean the areas you cant reach. Also, make sure to clean the insides of the lens caps.
Read the Manual
Reading the owner’s manual before getting started is very important. It is more or less like cleaning a camera lense. Because the manufacturer might recommend some specific chemicals or tools.
As different binoculars have different lens coatings, the manual will describe what not to use according to that. Using the wrong chemical might damage your binocular lenses.
Clean the Inside of a Binocular Lens for Removeing dust
When removing dust from the binocular lens, hold it upside down first. Loosen any light material by using a lens cleaning pen’s bristles. Avoid breathing onto the lenses as it can create water spots. Try to use canned air to carefully blow away the dirt and use short bursts of air not so close to the lenses.
Use a Cleaning Solution
You can gently wipe away any remaining dirt on the lenses with the cleaning solution. But be careful when applying that, because if it does pour into the internal parts it might damage them. Do not apply window or glass cleaners, as their chemicals might harm the lenses. Before applying the solution, be sure to read the owner’s manual.
Use a cloth
Once you are done removing all the dirt, use the lens cloth to remove any leftover smudges. You need to apply less pressure and use the circular motion method while cleaning the lenses. Be sure to clarify that the cloth has been kept in a clean environment so that it doesn’t add more dust to it. Try not to use clothing items and toilet paper, it might leave some scratches.
Follow the link for a more detailed procedure
Binocular Cleaning Kits
Choosing the right cleaning kit according to your lens kit is essential. Here are the 4 best binocular cleaning kits that experts suggest.
Nikon lens pen: Being one of the best cleaning kits in the market it is highly durable. It uses a non-liquid compound. Its retractable nature of the material and the trusted quality of Nikon makes it a popular choice. It might fulfill the full value of the money you put in.
Altura Photo Professional Cleaning Kit: It is referred to as a proper binocular lens cleaning kit that is free of ammonia for the binoculars that are sticky. It provides a wide range of staff that can perform different functions. It also doesn’t include alcohol.
Zeiss Pre-Moistened Lens Cleaning Wipes: This one is really easy to carry and can ensure the safety of your binoculars. But this is a one-time usage thing. Being anti-static, they clean the surface for a very long time.
Vortex Optics Fog-Free Lens Cleaning Field Kit: If you have stains or fingerprints over your binocular lenses, this cleaning clean might be the ideal choice to clean it. It is easy to carry around and is anti-fog. It is very light in weight.
How to Fix Cloudy Binocular Lenses
Sometimes you might notice your binocular lenses might get foggy or cloudy. If that happens you need to know how to clean them. A sudden temperature change might be the cause of it. The steps you must follow are:
1. Open the lenses and use a dry soft cloth to wipe them up
2. After you finish wiping let it air dry
3. Avoid blowing or rubbing the lenses
Why Binocular Lenses Get Cloudy
Binocular lenses use silica which is harder than glass. On the other hand, if you rub dust across your eyepiece, it will leave untraceable microscopic scratches. They do scatter over light. Soon, they start to provide you with a cloudy view.
How to Remove Fingerprints off Binoculars
As you know, if you rub tiny particles of dust around your binocular lenses and eyepiece, it might leave some microscopic scratches. These small scratches might accumulate over time and damage your quality of the view. Using a microfiber cloth to remove fingerprints are one of the safest and ideal approach. This is also the quickest way to do it.
Can You Clean Binoculars With Rubbing Alcohol?
The main ingredient of rubbing alcohol is isopropyl alcohol which is used to clean hard surfaces. When using lens cleaning liquid, always use isopropyl-based cleaners. And you need to be sure and careful about if the products are safe for coated lenses. So, yes, you can clean the binocular with rubbing alcohol.
FAQ
Q: Can dust be removed from inside a lens?
Ans: If you spot dust inside your lens, avoid doing anything by yourself. Because in most cases you won’t be able to put it back together after disassembling. A small amount of dust won’t cause you that much of a problem and you can ignore it. But if you have a larger portion of dust inside your lens you might contact the manufacturer or seek expert help and discuss the cost of fixing it.
Q: Is isopropyl alcohol bad for lenses?
Ans: There are some cleaning solutions for eyeglasses that highlight rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol which are weakened with water. They are used to remove troublesome residues from hard surfaces. In most cases, they work pretty well. But, it is harsh for most lenses, so the experts might suggest you avoid using it.
Conclusion
When blowing the dust off your lenses, first hold the binoculars up over your head and then blow on them. Gravity should help from spitting or dribbling on the lenses. Another thing to remember, do not spray the solutions directly on the binoculars in any case.
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